A Royal Secret
by ItsAllWrite
Summary: Ally has always been invisible- and she likes it that way. She likes living her perfectly private life with her mother and her best friend. But when her grandmother visits and drops a bombshell on her, her entire life turns upside down. Based very loosely on "The Princess Diaries"
1. Look Who's Here

**A/N: Ok, let it be known that even though this story is based on "The Princess Diaries", there will be differences from the movie. I've never done a non-canon, completely AU fic so please bear with me as I try to portray these characters correctly.**

**Disclaimer: If I did own Austin and Ally, they'd somehow be married by now, so no I do not own it.**

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_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

I woke up to the same annoying sound of my alarm clock that went off every morning at 6:30 am. I groaned, reaching over to my nightstand and pushing the off button, right before stretching and walking out of bed like a zombie.

I put on my black, thick rimmed glasses and walked over to my closet, deciding on what to wear for school. Usually I'd be more excited, but I was going to have to perform a solo in my music class and let's just say I wasn't looking toward to it. I grabbed a pair of faded ripped jeans and a white T-shirt to match my black converse. After throwing it on, I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Well Ally Dawson, this is as good as it's gonna get," I told myself, throwing my hair in a ponytail before grabbing my bag and books and going downstairs.

"Hey mom," I greeted. She turned around from stacking CDs on the shelf to smile at me.

"Hey sweetie," she replied, "Ready for your presentation?" I just threw a glare at her and she tried to hold back her laugh.

"Oh sweetie, you'll do fine," she reassured me and gave me a hug, "Good luck."

"Bye," I said, and I left the store to find Austin and Trish outside waiting for me.

"It's about time. We were just about to leave you," Trish laughed.

"Well," Austin defended, "She was. I would never leave you." I smiled up at him, giving him a small hug.

I had been best friends with Trish since kindergarten and it had always been just the two of us. But in the sixth grade, Austin had moved from Orlando and then it became the three of us. Or more like me and Trish as well as me and Austin, since Trish and Austin hardly got along. With Trish I would do girly stuff such as shopping and sleepovers, but with Austin I felt like I could do whatever and have a good time, whether it was listening to him sing or just watching a movie.

We continued our walk to school, listening to Trish complain about how unfairly they were paying her at her current job at the pet store.

"Why don't you just quit," I suggested, but she just waved off the idea, arguing that it wouldn't be as much fun as doing something to get revenge and getting fired. Austin and I shot a "this girl is on crack" look at each other simultaneously and burst out laughing, ignoring the same look that Trish was now giving us.

* * *

I sat down at one of the chairs that formed a semi-circle in the back of the class, while Austin took his seat next to me. The class began to file in one by one and soon enough the bell rang to begin instruction for music class.

Here we go.

Mr. Rodich stood at the front of the class, calling everyone's names one-by-one to stand up and perform their solo. Finally the dreaded moment came when he called mine.

"Try to beat that," Kira said as she walked past me to take her seat. Kira was a bitch to practically everybody just because her dad was a big music producer and made her family super rich. But she was especially rude to Austin, Trish, and I because when she tried flirting with him, he hadn't even taken a second glance at her, and since we were friends with him, we were included in her big ol' daily routine of embarrassment and torture.

"Don't worry, Als. You'll do great," he whispered to me, and squeezed my hand in reassurance. I stood up slowly and walked over to the piano in the front of the class.

"Deep breath," I mentally told myself before I began to play. I was doing pretty well, too, but when it came time to sing, I felt something other than words begin to rise up. I stopped playing immediately and ran off, trying to block my vomit from coming out before I reached the nearest trash can.

Behind me, I heard the noise of laughter right before the sound of quick footsteps coming closer.

"You okay, Ally," I heard Austin say. He pushed my hair away from my face with one hand and with the other he pulled me closer to him, while I cried onto his chest.

"That was so embarrassing," I sobbed. He kissed the top of my head and kept telling me it was going to be okay.

But no matter how many times he told me, I knew it wasn't.

* * *

I walked into Sonic Boom, throwing my backpack under the counter and pinning on my employee name tag, even though I was more of an owner than I was an employee.

"Hey honey. How was school," my mom asked, barely noticing my appearance after having gotten there 15 minutes before, not that I blamed her. She wasn't really all that here ever since she had to quit her job and move.

"I'd rather not talk about it." She just gave me a small frown as if understanding and then continued to walk around the store to ask customers if they needed any help. Almost immediately however, she came back with the biggest smile on her face.

"I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you," she told me, sitting up on the counter and swinging her legs back and forth, "Your grandmother Clarice from your father's side called. She's in town and wants to have tea with you; says it's very important."

I just stared at my mother. Of course I knew I had a grandmother and that she was very much alive, but I had never even met the woman. All I knew was that she lived in a tiny country in the middle of nowhere.

"She didn't even come to dad's funeral and now, almost two months later, she decides to come and pay us a visit? No way am I meeting her," I declared, moving away from my mother to end the conversation, but she just followed me.

"Sweetie, I think it'd be good for you to meet your grandmother. It's obvious she realizes she should meet her granddaughter, so I really think you should go," she persuaded. I stared at my mother at loss of words. It's not that I didn't want to meet her because I did.

I had lived with just my dad here in Miami since I was three, while my mother studied gorillas in Africa. Even with just having one parental figure really in my life 24/7, my father refrained from telling me much about his childhood or his family in general and the curiosity was killing me. Why all this secrecy? Now with my grandmother, maybe questions would finally be answered.

"Fine, I'll go have tea with my grandmother," I mocked in a fake British accent.

"That's my girl," my mother encouraged and then continued to work.

I sat down at the piano bench and sighed. I had the worst feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad was going to happen.

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**A/N 2:**

**Ok, so obviously like I said before there are some differences between the movie and this.**

**Next chapter, Ally will find out she's a princess. Ooh la la! (And because this is an Auslly fic, you can also be expecting some of their cute moments as well!) **

**Please review!**

**Twitter: ForeverJuliaXo **


	2. A Princess, You Say?

**Disclaimer: Do we still need these? I think we all know I don't own Austin and Ally.**

** I also don't own "Suit & Tie" by Justin Timberlake.**

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_** Responses to your reviews:**_

****_To "fishy_": Austin kissed Ally on the head, not the cheek. There have been times when I was upset and my friend would do the same (so would my mom lol). It's pretty obvious Austin likes her so that's why he did it. Actions characters do reveal a lot. And they've been friends for years ,so you can assume they're pretty close.**

****_To my guest "Lol what"_: You'd probably win that bet ;)**

****_To "Not For A Moment"_: I just started reading your story "Love & Luck!" and it is seriously so amazing. Your writing leaves me speechless so this really means a lot.**

****Also, my e-mail has informed about a lot more reviews that you guys have sent int (Almost fifteen reviews in total!) ,but for some reason they didn't show up on here. I want to let you guys know that I did receive your kind words and appreciate it immensely! You seriously have no idea :)**

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**~Dedicated to all my readers, whether you follow this story or not. You're reading this and that's all that matters!~**

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I slipped off my clothes and grabbed my pajamas off the counter, letting myself be enveloped into the soft pink material of it. Even if it was almost 80 degrees*** **outside, the inside of my house always felt like it was below 50, so the only pairs of pajamas I owned were warm. I jumped onto my bed and threw myself under the bed, grabbing myself cell phone to continue my texting conversation with Austin.

Just like all the other times I had news or a problem, Austin would be the first to know. It started a while ago after we met and I had received an awful grade on a test for the first time ever. Being only twelve, I cried. Hard. Austin was the first one to find me in what I would consider "my state of panic" and he had comforted me, telling me over and over that it wasn't the end of the world. "Ally, it's only the sixth grade," he had told me.

Ever since then, he had been my voice of reason. Kind of like my light, you know? He helped me see the bright side of a dark situation.

I made myself comfortable and texted away at the keys.

_My mom told me to dress as if I were going to an interview. WTF does that even mean?_

**_Just wear a dress and nice shoes, I guess?_**

_Have you met me? I don't own any dresses!_

**_ It's your grandma, Als. Just wear whatever. She'll love you no matter what you wear. It's impossible not to love you._**

I smiled to myself. See? He always knew what to say to me to make me feel better about myself and he always managed to say it with such sincerity. After saying our ritual "goodnight" to each other, I put the phone away and laid in bed, trying to fall asleep ,but failing miserably. All I could think about was what my grandmother would think of me. What if she didn't like me? And what was so important that she had to tell me right away? So many thoughts entered my head ,but I tried to push them away as soon as they did.

They would all be answered tomorrow.

* * *

I sang along to my iPod as I walked on the pavements of the sidewalk to meet my grandmother, trying not to step in any of the puddles that were newly formed thanks to the unexpected rain.

_And as long as I got my suit and tie_  
_I'ma leave it all on the floor tonight_  
_And you got fixed up to the nines_  
_Let me show you a few things_

I got lost in the song and even began to dance a little, feeling more at ease about my reunion ,but apparently even a little dance can prove to be dangerous as I slipped on the floor and feel _smack!,_ right on my butt. I picked myself up ,trying not to let too much damage happen to my clothes ,but once I got up I felt wet and realized that I had in fact stained the back of my jeans with muddy water.

"Shit," I mumbled to myself, "That's just fantastic."

I continued my walk in a less happy mood than I was before reaching my grandmother's house. I took the slip of paper with my grandma's address out of my pocket just to make sure I had the right house. Yup. 3260 Wildrow Lane. A big white mansion with an even bigger gate surrounding all four sides stood in its place. The grass on the front yard was so well kept, it looked surreal and the stone pathway leading up to the two-doored front entrance was lined up with tulips and daisies.

I pressed the button for the intercom and a man's voice came through.

"State your name and reason of visit," it boomed.

"Umm...Ally Dawson. I'm supposed to be having tea with my grandmother, Clarice," I stated, a little taken back by the loud and serious tone.

Almost immediately the gates opened up. I walked up to the front doors with precaution, afraid that thanks to my clumsy nature I would somehow ruin the beautiful atmosphere, such as stepping on the flowers. A man dressed in a suit and tie that somehow resembled the Men in Black opened the door before I even got a chance to ring the doorbell. "Take a seat," he ordered, "Your grandmother will be with you momentarily."

I made my way to the seating area ,being taken in awe of the sculptures and portraits that surrounded the house. A big marble staircase even stood in the middle of the house. This must be the most extravagant house in the entire city of Miami.

"Allyson," I hear behind me. I turn around and see a woman , obviously aged ,but she walked down the stairs with the grace and poise of someone who isn't over the age 30. She hugged me ,but it didn't feel welcoming or cold. It just felt distant.

"Hi. It's great to finally meet you," I reacted sheepishly.

"Yes it is. Won't you join me out in the garden? We have much to discuss." She led me out into the garden which proved to be even more lovelier than her front yard, filled with different fountains, statutes, a pool, and various exotic flowers. We made our way to a gazebo where a table set up with pastries and tea. I sat down on the chair across from her and we stayed in uncomfortable silence for a while.

"So is the big family secret that we're part of the mafia or something," I joked, trying to break the ice.

"I beg your pardon," she said, being caught off guard.

"I'm just saying because this is the fanciest house I've ever seen in my life and let me tell you, houses like these don't come cheap. So I was just guessing that the way you could afford this was selling drugs." I began to laugh, expecting her to do the same ,but she didn't.

"What I need to discuss with you isn't a joking matter," she began, "Your father wasn't just Lester Dawson. He was Lester Giardeli Dawson Renaldi, Prince of Genovia. And I tried to delay this matter for as long as I could ,but I'm afraid..."

"Wait, what," I asked, her words finally processing through, "My father was a prince?!"

I laughed, the idea of it sounding even more ridiculous as it left my mouth. My father was not the royal type. He was the least bit sophisticated and refined. She was talking about the man who I knew all my life. The same man who jumped up and down like a little girl when the Miami Dolphins won a football game and had to buy his own milk carton and label it because he didn't like drinking it in a glass.

"Yes, he was. I'm a royal by marriage ,but your father is a royal by blood and so are you. You aren't just Ally Dawson. You're Allyson Mionette Dawson Renaldi , Princess of Genovia, and now the rightful heir to the throne."

"You really want me to believe that I'm a princess," I exclaimed, sounding more hysterical with each word I spoke. This was _not _happening.

"Well I'm not lying," she said calmly, not being bothered by the tone of my voice, "Queens never lie."

"You. Are. Batshit. Crazy." I punctuated every word to a crisp. The last thing I heard her say was something around the lines of "what did you say" ,but I wasn't really listening any more. That woman was insane. I grabbed my backpack and ran from the table without saying another word.

I ran and ran and ran. I couldn't be a princess, okay? It wasn't possible. I wasn't the type of girl who always dreamed of being part of a royal family and wearing extravagant dresses and living in a castle. I liked my life just the way it was. _Exactly_ the way it was.

There was no way that was going to change.

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***When I say 80 degrees, I mean in Fahrenheit. I know most other people measure temperature in Celsius. (Stupid American schools.)**

**Sorry for the lack of Auslly. Trust me, that will all change next chapter**

**Please comment, favorite, and subscribe :)**

**Twitter: ForeverJuliaXo**


	3. Deal or No Deal

**Disclaimer: Pretty sure I still don't own Austin or Ally.**

**FYI: Spring Break is done so updates might not as be frequent. But I promise at least one new chapter every week(because you guys are amazing.)**

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I rolled over in my bed, trying to avoid the sunlight that was streaming in from my window and not having the willpower to get up and close the curtains. I thought that when I woke up, my entire interaction with Clarice would turn out to be an entire dream. My phone said otherwise however, saying it was in fact Saturday and everything that had happened yesterday was irreversible .

There was a faint knock on my door followed by mother telling me very quietly that someone was here to see me. After I had gotten home yesterday and my mother asked me how it had gone, we'd gotten in a huge fight.

She argued that she was trying to protect me and help me maintain a "normal life" while I contradicted that I had the right to know this sooner. You're blowing this way out of proportion, she had told me. No. This reaction was completely rational considering this secret not only changed my entire future plans, but it changed all of my past ,too.

It changed my _identity._

"Depends on who wants to come in," I retorted.

"Hey Alls," Austin greeted, in the same sing-song voice he used when he was in a good mood. He came over and sat next to me on the bed. "Wow you look even worse than usual."

"Yeah because that's exactly what I want to hear at a time like this," I replied sarcastically, hiding myself under the covers.

"C'mon, you know I think you're the most beautiful girl ever." He shifted his body so he was laying comfortably under the covers next to me. He pushed the hair away from my face and flashed his signature Austin Moon smile.

"You're such a liar," I laughed, feeling a bit better.

"Cross my heart," he promised, doing the action. We stared at each other for a while, both of us not saying anything, just enjoying the comfortable silence and each other. "What's wrong, Alls?"

"I'm not sure I can tell you."

"But I'm your best friend," he whined like a four year old, pouting his lip for effect.

"I know, but this isn't just like my secret ,it's my entire family's I guess."

"Ok now I'm confused..."

Just then there was a quick knock on the door followed by mother's voice, filled with a mix of surprise and anxiety, telling me my grandmother was downstairs waiting for me. Austin and I both jumped up at the sudden interruption, our faces both a deep shade of red being caught in our suspicious position on the bed.

"I'll text you later," he told me, his tone of voice more of a question than a statement. I nodded quickly and he left my room. I tossed on my robe and slipped on my flip-flips, pushing past my mother at the doorway and making my way downstairs.

Clarice was sitting at the piano, her hands stroking the keys back and forth but not making any noise.

"Do you play," I asked.

She turned around and looked at me, a distant look in her eye, "No ,but your father used to. I remember he was three when he became interested in playing it. He begged for lessons. Do you play as well ,dear?"

I nodded ,trying to hold back the tears that were starting to form as the memory of my father playing the piano appeared in my mind. I remembered the way he would make up songs off the top of his head while playing the piano just to please me once i got turned of the usual "twinkle Twinkle Little Star." Most kids got a bedtime story- I would get a bedtime song. He wasn't the best singer, I would admit it, but his voice was always filled with love. What more could you want?

"We need to talk, all three of us." My grandmother's voice brought me back to reality and I went over to the counter where my mother was standing.

"Shoot," I shrugged, not really caring what she had to say anymore.

"I may not look like it ,but I'm sick. Very sick and I don't know how much longer I'll have," she began to choke on her words, but she tried to mask it quickly, "If you don't accept the throne, Genovia will be without a ruler."

I stared at her in awe. "It's barely a miracle that I'm able to survive high school and you want me to run a country?!"

I felt the room begin to spin and the intensity of my heart beat was increasing by the second. It was as if my life was going on a downward spiral and every second was just getting worse and worse. I sat down on the counter, grabbing my chest with one hand and balancing myself with the other.

"This can't be happening," I gasped.

"Well it's not as if you're going to be put on the throne just yet. You must have your inaugural ball ,but before that, you must have your princess lessons."

"What the hell are princess lessons," I asked. I swore this woman talked as if she was from a different planet.

"Well for one thing, it teaches you not to talk like a sailor," she sassed back.

I rolled my eyes at her and crossed my arms, turning my head the other direction. Was she really going to act like this?

"Okay," my mother intervened, "How about Ally promises to go to princess lessons and after they are all done, she decides then whether or not she wants to accept the throne? Everybody wins."

My grandmother and I stared at each other ,neither of us wanting to surrender first ,but finally she spoke up.

"Well I guess we have no other choice now, do we," she tried to joke.

"Fine," I mumbled, the least bit ecstatic about the compromise. On top of doing work for school, I also had to help my mother with the store and somehow find time to spend with Austin and Trish ,or else I would have nothing to look forward ,too.

Clarice wrote down her phone mother on the back of a Sonic Boom business card that was laying on the counter. She declined my mother's offer for some tea upstairs ,claiming she had some very important meeting she had to attend.

"I will see you Monday after school," she directed towards me, "The first lesson is appearance."

She left the store with a sly smile and left with me the same unsettling feeling in my stomach that was now becoming familiar to me. What exactly did she mean by _appearance?_

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**Who else is excited about Austin and Ally being renewed for season 3?! Hopefully when production begins again I'll be able to see a live taping of the show.**

**What it be greedy of me to ask for like ten reviews? Oh well, I'll post the next chapter up anyways :)**

**Please favorite, follow, and review! xo**

**Twitter: ForeverJuliaXo (Hashtag #ARoyalSecret and I'll follow you back!)**


	4. Makeover

**Disclaimer: Austin and Ally don't belong to me even though I really wish they did**

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I paid for my lunch and scanned the cafeteria for Austin and Trish, finding them sitting in the corner of the room next to the restrooms instead of in our usual spot near the center. I shoved through the crowded area and was finally able to make my way to my friends, who were talking animatedly over a subject that had them both thrilled.

"What's going on," I asked them both, the curiosity eating away at me. It was a rare day when they were both happy about the same thing and I was more than prepared to join in their joy. I put my tray of grilled cheese sandwiches and pickled slices on the table and sat down in the chair in between them.

"Well," Trish began, "I just got a job at 101.5 Miami Jams and I was telling Austin how my boss was looking for new music to give the station more viewers and I showed him a video of Austin performing your song! Not only am I going to get a raise, but your song is going to be on the radio!"

I jumped up in my seat, not being able to control my excitement. I had been writing songs since I was thirteen, but had never told anyone, until Austin overheard me playing one of my compositions on the piano. It then became a thing of ours: I wrote songs and he sang them. He had performed a couple of times before live, at sweet sixteens' and bar-mitzvahs, but having a song of mine played on the radio? This was an entirely different thing.

"Congrats," I told Austin, wrapping my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist. "I'm proud of you."

"Me," he stammered, "You're the one who writes the amazing songs. There's no way I could make it with you." I smiled at him, forgetting completely that Trish was also here, before unwrapping my arms from him and sitting back in my seat.

"The song is going to play this Saturday at around 6 o'clock. We should all get together and listen to the song when it premiers," Trish suggested, grabbing one of my pickles from my tray, thinking I wouldn't notice, but I quickly smacked her hand away.

"That's too far away," Austin whined, "Let's celebrate tonight. We could go bowling!"

Trish agreed immediately, considering she was a champ at the sport, but I sadly declined. "I can't. I'm doing something with my grandma."

"Again? What is it with that lady," Trish complained. Right before I was going to answer her, Dez showed up and saved me from having to invent a lie to tell them. "Oh no," she sighed, her voice filled with annoyance.

"Hello Trish-kabob," he greeted, putting his video camera and taking the seat next to her. We had both known Dez since kindergarten and it seemed like every year, he just got weirder and weirder. At first we thought it was just a phase, but after years of being acquaintances, our theory had been proven wrong. It seemed like Dez always had a crush on Trish, but much to his dismay, she had yet to reciprocate those feelings.

"What do you want, dork," she groaned bitterly.

"I just wanted to see how my favorite girl was doing," he replied innocently, tapping her on the nose. It really was quite sweet how much he adored her.

"Well I was doing fine before you showed up!" She got up from her seat and tried to walk out of the cafeteria as quickly as possible, but Dez trailed behind her, leaving Austin and I alone at the table.

"You know they're going to end up together, right," he asked me jokingly. I laughed and shoved his arm playfully, his mockingly hurt expression on his face making me laugh even more.

We finished our lunch and he walked me out to the hallways, his hand brushing against mine every once in a while. Once I reached my locker he stared at me, as if wanting to say something and not say something at the same time.

"What," I asked him finally, putting my chemistry book away and exchanging it for my AP US History one.

"Why are you hanging out with your grandma so much," he asked sounding disappointed.

"I can't tell you," I replied sympathetically, "I really wish I could, but I can't." I grabbed his hand in mine. "You're still my best friend, you know that right?"

He smiled at me and nodded. "Can I tell Trish you said that?"

I laughed. "I don't want to die yet, so no."

* * *

I never failed to be astounded at the luxurious mansion my grandmother was living in. I felt a bit scared however, seeing as how it was old and had priceless antiques, like a museum. (Which I usually tried to stay away from for obvious reasons due to my clumsy nature.)

A woman named Serenity who claimed to be my grandmother's assistant led me upstairs to where my grandmother was sitting down and talking to a Latino man, laughing at whatever he was saying.

"Ally," Clarice greeted, "How nice of you to make it on time for the beginning of your princess lessons. Even though today isn't as much as a lesson. This is Roberto Martinez.

"Nice to meet you," I said shyly, extending my hand out for him to shake ,but instead he took it and kissed it softly. He was dressed very stylishly, wearing white skinny jeans, a purple button up shirt, and a black scarf that hung lossless from his neck.

"Hola princess," he replied, his Mexican accent thick when he spoke. He studied me for a moment, looking me up and down while circling me. "I've seen worse, your majesty. I can definitely work with this," he directed to my grandma.

"What do you mean you can 'work with me' ," I defended, feeling slightly offended.

"The first lesson is looking like a princess," she grabbed my hand and led me to the bathroom which was the size of a large master bedroom, "Roberto is the best in transforming others and that's what we're going to do today: makeover your appearance.

Before I could protest, he grabbed me and sat me down on a salon style chair, wrapping a towel around me.

"Once I'm done with you, all the chicos are going to think you are hot," he tried to persuade me. I thought about it for a moment.

Maybe that would be a perk. Maybe after the makeover Dallas would finally notice me. He was a boy I had been in love with two years but the only time he had spoken to me was once when he told me if I could move seats on the bus. Dallas was cute and popular ,but never took a second glance at me. Maybe after this makeover he would give me a chance.

I nodded, determined to do whatever they told me to transform myself into a princess

* * *

After hours and hours of agonizing pain, Roberto finally spoke the words, "Princess Ally, we are done with your makeover." He took his hands off my eyes and I stood in front of the mirror, unable to say anything.

My hair that once hung down to my waist now fell in perfect layers right at my shoulders. Along with the new length, I had also gotten caramel highlights that made my naturally wavy hair look even more amazing.

My glasses were gone. Roberto had "accidentally" dropped them and stepped on them when he took them off before my facial so I was forced to wear contacts, which did make my eyes look bigger and a darker shade.

The most atrocious part must have been the waxing however. The waxing process was the shortest but the most painful. I had gotten my eyebrows, my armpits, my finger hairs, and my legs. (Somehow my mind changed about having three children. If waxing was that uncomfortable, I couldn't imagine how much worse labor would be.)

The final step of the alteration process was makeup. I didn't like using beauty products ,but the ones Roberto used were so gentle I forgot I was wearing any. Then he gave me a relaxing manicure and pedicure to finish it off.

My grandmother had presented me with a new wardrobe, which was mostly made up of girly dresses, fancy tops, and heels, the complete opposite of what I usually wore. I decided to wear a flowy lilac summer dress and nude colored heels.

Once I was changed, I was able to look at myself for the first time since we had started the makeover.

I looked like a completely different Ally Dawson.

I looked like Allyson Mionette Dawson Renaldi.

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**Yay, Dez has been introduced! (Between us, he's my favorite character!)**

**P.S. I do wax and it's hurts like a mother duck!**

**How about twelve reviews this time? :O**

**Twitter: ForeverJuliaXo (#ARoyalSecret and I'll follow back!)**


	5. The New Ally

**Disclaimer: Don't own Austin and Ally.**

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Austin POV

I slipped on my high tops, grabbed my cell phone off the counter, and left my house to meet up with Trish and Ally to go to school. I had gone out with Trish last night, bowling, and was awake on only four hours of sleep.

_"So when are you going to ask Ally out," she had asked me bluntly, grabbing a slice of pepperoni pizza and putting it on her plate._

_"Excuse me," I choked on my soda, completely surprised by her question._

_"C'mon. It's totally obvious you like her," she smirked._ Had I really been that obvious? For the past couple of months I had been trying to subtlety leave her hints about my feelings towards her but she had failed to notice. I'd walk her to class, compliment her, and find any way to be able to hug her or hold her hand.

Ally was my best friend. She was the most beautiful, intelligent woman I knew and she made me happier than anyone else. I wanted to be with her. Just her and me forever.

But she didn't feel the same.

_"Do you really think I should ask her out," I asked Trish after thinking about it for a while._

_"No shit, Sherlock," she laughed. I felt my cheeks instantly begin to blush at the thought of actually asking Ally out._ It was everything I wanted, but I was terrified. What if she didn't feel the same way and rejected me?

I had spent the entire night thinking about Ally. About the first time I ever met her and she was the shortest girl in class. She was wearing a red dress with black polka dots; I told her she looked like a ladybug and she had laughed. We had been best friends since. I remembered the time that we first decided to start writing music together and we had gotten into a huge fight about whose lyrics were better. We didn't talk for days and I felt miserable without her. That was when I first realized I couldn't be without her. She made my life better.

I walked past a million of houses, each of them looking like the other before I reached Trish's. She was sitting on the steps of her porch, listening to her iPod and mouthing the words to the music that was playing. She saw me and ran towards me as we continued our walk to Ally's house.

"Have you decided what you're going to do," she asked me as we walked. Our walks were usually silent until Ally joined us. It's not that I didn't like Trish because I thought she was pretty cool and stuff, but we never had anything to talk about. So when I heard her talking to me, it startled me at first.

"Umm…I thought about it," I told her hopefully, "But I haven't decided anything."

We stopped in front of Sonic Boom as part of our usual morning routine. She threw a death glare at me and was just about to tell me off form what I could assume, but instead her mouth hung open at something behind me.

I was surprised at how easily she had abandoned her comment, something she never did since she prided herself in always speaking her mind. I turned around to see what had left Trish speechless and found myself matching her expression.

It's just Ally, I told myself ,except it wasn't just Ally. It was Ally wearing a navy blue dress that hugged her small figure tightly and then flowed down right above her knee, showing off her amazing legs.(Seriously, why had she's been hiding them for so long?!) Ally never wore dresses, she said so herself. The last time I had seen her wear a dress was in the seventh grade ,right before she replaced her wardrobe with jeans and t-shirts.

Another thing Ally never wore? Makeup. But here she was anyways, waking towards me with her lashes perfectly curled and her lips red and looking so...kissable. Except, I shouldn't think of Ally as kissable, should I? No of course not. She's my best friend.

"Hey guys," she said sheepishly as she reached us, tucking a strand of her loosely curled hair,which now had highlights in it, behind her ear. Trish and I looked at each other and then back at Ally, neither of us really believing it was her.

"What happened to you," Trish practically yelled at her.

"Y-you don't like it," Ally stuttered, the small smiled she was wearing completely vanishing from her face.

"You look ridiculous! You look just like Kira and her group of airhead Barbies! I'll get a job at a law firm and I'll help you sue whoever did this to you," she demanded, not noticing how Ally was on the verge of tears ,but I did.

"Trish. Stop." I warned ,but the damage was already done. Ally ran back inside the store ,tripping on her heels and falling on the ground. "Awesome job,Trish," I told her sarcastically.

"Whatever," she retorted, obviously still upset, "I'm gonna be late to school." She kept walking towards the direction of school, leaving me to comfort Ally.

I walked inside the store and saw that Ally was no longer curled in a little ball in the middle of the store sobbing ,which meant she must have gone up to the music room. I trotted up the stairs and found her crying into her arms, sitting at the piano, the keys making random sounds as she moved.

"Ally," I told her as gently as I could, a bit afraid that a louder tone would somehow hurt her. "What's wrong?"

I say next to her on the piano bench, putting my arm around her. She picked up her head and put it on my shoulder. No one ever looked beautiful when they cried ,but Ally wasn't like other people. She still somehow managed to look amazing, even when most vulnerable.

"I was fooling myself," she squeaked out, "I thought somehow this change would make me different."

"How?"

"Beautiful," she admitted, pausing her crying for a moment just to begin again.

"Ally, look at me," I told her. I shifted my position and picked her chin up so we were looking into each other's eyes. "There is no one,_ no one_ more beautiful or more talented or more fun to be around than you. This change, if anything, makes you more beautiful than you were before. I didn't think it was possible ,but I've been known to be wrong a lot of times."

She cracked a smile. "Thanks." I felt the need to feel my lips against hers at that moment, just to feel that wonderful Ally Dawson smile that I loved so much. But I couldn't. It wasn't the right time.

"Want to know what we should do," I asked, the idea popping into my head. She shook her head no. "Let's play hooky."

Ally looked at me with shock,"Austin, we can't just not go to school. You know I've never missed a day of school!"

"And you've never worn makeup either, but you're doing it now," I justified. She bit her lip, thinking about it for a little bit ,before her signature thousand watt smile broke out on her face and she nodded enthusiastically.

Let our day off from school begin.

* * *

**Okay I've had the same plot idea in my head for a while ,but half ways through writing this it changed. I'm so excited!**

**The Auslly picture that leaked serves as inspiration for next chapter. (Hint hint)**

**How about 15 reviews? :)**


	6. Playing Hooky

**Disclaimer: I don't own Austin and Ally**

* * *

"The coast is clear," Austin whispered, peeking downstairs to see if my mother was there. He led the way as we crept down the steps as quickly and as silently as possible so we wouldn't be caught not being caught in school. The adrenaline was pumping hard and my heart beating fast. I'd never missed a day of school and this was the most exciting, rebellious thing I had ever done.

Once we were outside, Austin and I went running in the direction of the mall, sneaking behind buildings when there were police and trying not to laugh as we hummed the James Bond theme song. I tried to keep my mind off what Trish had told me and instead on the spontaneous adventure I was about to endure.

When Trish had insulted me, it had taken me off guard. She was encouraging most of the time. Why would she hurt me so badly? It's not like I was dressed inappropriately or anything. And besides, I liked my new look. I immediately felt confident right after looking in the mirror.

I had never felt beautiful. Friends of the family said I was gorgeous and Austin was always complimenting me ,but regardless, I never thought of myself as that. But after seeing myself in my new image, I felt like the change had done wonders. It finally felt like all the kinds words people had told me over the years were true. That was of course before Trish shared her opinion.

"Where are we even going," I asked Austin, a little out of breath from running for so long.

"It's a surprise," he smirked and he hailed a taxi for us at a street corner, sensing I was tired from being on my foot for so long. He opened the door for me and let me slide in, telling the taxi driver the direction of where he was taking me. I smiled to myself once I realized where it was.

Katie's Carnival Funhouse. It was this great, tiny place that only a few people knew existed. They served the worst fried foods and overpriced almost everything, but it had all the luxuries of a carnival all year round and Austin loved taking me here.

Once we entered, I was immediately surrounded by the lights of the arcade games and the smell of junk food. Austin grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the ski ball machines first.

"Let the pro go first," he teased, pushing me aside and putting the right amount of quarters into the slot. He wasn't kidding when he said he was a pro. Austin had come and played the game here so many times that he currently he was currently the highest ski ball scorer at Katie's, his name written in white chalk on the "champ board" for authenticity.

He played for a while and I watched his technique; the way he threw his arm back, how his eyebrows creased in concentration, and the way he stepped forward with his leg. Once it was my turn, I tried doing exactly what he did, but ended up tripping.

"Let me help you," he suggested. He came behind me and guided my arm. "And then you let go." I watched as the ball went into the hole for 500 points.

"Austin did you see that," I yelled excitedly, turning around and hugging him, feeling my legs drift away from the ground as he picked me up and twirled me around.

"That was great, Ally," he laughed. He collected the tickets that we had won and we moved on to the next game and the next until we had played them all.

"Ok Alls, what do you want," he asked me, struggling with all the tickets he had won while walking towards the prize booth.

"Austin, you don't have to get me anything. You're the one who mostly won all the tickets."

"Ally, I want to," he insisted.

"Fine," I smiled, ultimately choosing a puppy topped with fake blonde hair and dressed in a hoodie and jeans. It reminded me of Austin somehow and once I saw it I knew I had to get it. Once we exchanged the tickets for it, I whipped out my cell phone and took a picture of Austin holding it.

"You both look adorable," I laughed, showing him the picture and then making it his caller id picture. He stuck his tongue out at me and I returned the gesture, grabbing the puppy, which I had named Puppy Moon, and ran outside while he chased me.

"Wait, Austin, I'm too tired," I begged once he caught up to me, "My heels are killing me."

"Hop on," he suggested, bending down so I could climb his back. I resisted at first, since I was wearing a dress after all, but the pain I was feeling on my feet made me over think that fact.

I took them off and swung my arms around Austin's neck, wrapping my legs around his torso and letting his arms support my legs. "Don't let me fall," I warned.

"Trust me," he said and he started walking towards the ice cream parlor a couple walks away. I felt a little bad for Austin, having to walk such a long distance while carrying me, but he didn't seem to mind. Instead he sang to me and I sang along.

While we were walking however, I felt a bit paranoid. It felt as if someone was following us and when we turned the corner, I swore I saw a flash go off. I ignored after a while. Why would anyone want to follow me?

We got to the ice cream parlor and I ordered Fruity Mint Swirl while Austin ordered Rocky Road. We sat down at one of the little tables outside, playing the game of how many red and black cars you can spot that drive by. After a while, it turned into guessing people's conversations when they stopped at the red lights.

Ice creams done and high heels put back on, Austin and I decided to walk back to the music store since school was over and done with.

"I had a great time, Austin. Thank you so much for today. I needed it," I told him once we reached Sonic Boom.

"You know I'd do anything to make you smile."

And before I understood what was going on, he grabbed my arm, leaned forward and ever so gently kissed my cheek. I felt something I had never experienced. It felt empowering and the 4th of July, while at the same time sweet and kind. I missed his lips against my skin the second he stopped.

"Bye Alls," he whispered with a shy smile, a light pink blush on his cheeks. And with that he left, leaving behind the feeling that I had now decided was the greatest emotion I had ever felt.

I went inside, a little dazed from the kiss and danced up to my room, falling onto my bed and smiling like a fool. Did I like Austin? Did he like me ,too? He must have to kiss me, right?

Just suddenly, my mom came into my room, bursting the happiness bubble that has just formed.

"Sweetie, we have a problem."

* * *

**Uh oh! And just when things were starting to look good for Ally.**

**What do you guys think the problem is?**

**Please review and follow :)**

**I was a little dissapointed about the number of reviews I received last chapter ,so that's why it kind of took me so long to post this chapter.**


	7. Paparazzi

**Ok, I am literally SO sorry about this super late chapter! I'm studying for my AP Euro Exam and it's taking up all my time ,so I couldn't find time to write. Anyways, here it is.**

* * *

Just suddenly, my mom came into my room, bursting the happiness bubble that has just formed.

"Sweetie, we have a problem."

I sat up from my position on the bed, propping up on my elbows and staring at my mother with a blank expression on my face. She couldn't possibly know about ditching school, right? Austin had called the school himself and successfully (and surprisingly) imitated my mother's voice to inform them I wasn't going because I didn't feel well. Then I had called and pretended to be his mother.

"Come with me," she said, exasperation clear in her voice. I temporarily left my thoughts about Austin behind and followed my mother downstairs, to where I was instantly blinded by flashing lights.

Outside our glass windows, there were all kinds of people crowding the building, some with cameras and others just screaming and jumping up and down.

"Who are these people," I panicked, covering my eyes from the flashy lights with my hand and trying to find my way to my mother in the center of the room where she was searching for something on her laptop.

"Watch this," she directed to me, turning the laptop over to me. I hesitantly pressed play, afraid of what would come up. A celebrity news segment began with the same perky blonde that always introduced these stories.

"_Oh kay, you guys_," she began, "_Big news for today! Major! A source close to The Renaldi's, this like, super rich and royal family in the middle of nowhere, just spilled that there actually is an heir to the throne: the lost princess Allyson Dawson from Miami!_"

My heart dropped. Close source? Our family hadn't told the secret to anyone. And I wasn't lost, people knew I existed. If anything I'm the one who didn't know I was a princess. Pictures of me began to show across the screen, with the same airhead narrating my life story. But then it headed into a completely different direction.

Pictures of Austin and I. Him giving me a piggy back ride. Us eating ice cream. High fiving each other after winning skee ball.

_"Looks like the princess isn't a good girl, though. This afternoon she was seen skipping school for a day of fun with rumored boyfriend and internet sensation, Austin Moon."_

Rumored boyfriend? How were there rumors already? Oh god, what fi Austin was watching this right now!

Shit.

A lot of people were watching this. This was a nationally televised show. Everyone knew my secret.


	8. Confrontation

A week. My secret only lasted for a week. Hardly enough time to adjust to my new identity and already the entire world knew I was a princess. I was hoping no one would ever find out. I'd finish princess lessons, decide not to take the throne, and pretend it had never happened. I wanted it so badly for events to unfold just as I imagined it.

I rushed upstairs to my room, trying to dodge the flashing lights coming from outside and trying to tune out the screams.

_"Princess Ally! Can we get one of you smiling?!"_

_"Princess Ally, any comment as to why this is just now being revealed?!_

Princess Ally. Why couldn't they stop calling me that? Ally Dawson. I am Ally Dawson.

I threw myself onto my bed, hugging a pillow close to my chest as I sobbed, expectantly waiting for my mother to come in and hold me like she usually did. My cell phone on my nightstand vibrated. Once. Twice. Twelve different times. I grabbed it, angrily reading the texts through my tears as they came in.

Ten of them from unrecognized numbers, asking if I wanted to hang out tomorrow. Yeah right. And the other two from Trish and Austin.

**Trish:**

**Here I was feeling sorry for you. What kind of best friend are you?!**

**Austin:**

**We need to talk.**

I felt a knot form at the pit of my stomach at the thought of talking to either of them. I knew it was going to eventually turn into a fight with either of them and I really didn't feel like talking to anyone. I just closed my eyes and I tried to sleep just so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. But then I felt a sudden shake on my body and looked up to see my grandmother waiting there.

"I saw the news," she told me, sitting down on the edge of my bed, her legs properly crossed and hands folded on her lap.

"Yeah? So did everyone else with access to the Internet," I stated sarcastically, throwing the pillow over my head. I felt leave it just as quickly though ,as Clarice pulled it away. Her eyes were burning holes through my head and my cheeks were turning a scarlet color.

"It was Roberto," she told me, tucking a loose strand of hair from my face and behind my ear. "He's the one who told the press. We have him under arrest since he violated his contract, if that makes you feel any better."

"It doesn't," I said. If anything, it made me feel worse. The same person who had made me feel so beautiful had also been the one who had exposed my secret and now made me feel worthless. "So what do we do now?"

"I suggest having a press conference and targeting the topic directly. Trust me, the worst thing now can be more rumors. Like about you and your boyfriend," my grandmother said, chuckling at the end.

"He's not my boyfriend," I explained.

"We'll whatever he is, I like him. It looks like he makes you happy." For the first time, I felt like she was actually smiling. I smiled back at her and wrapped my arms around her neck, giving her a huge hug.

"So press conference," I asked.

"Tomorrow."

* * *

I pleated the front of my skirt, feeling my hands get shaky from the anticipation. Clarice had pulled some strings at The Regal Resort & Hotel to hold the press meeting in one of their conference rooms. After that, she had her assistant tell reporters about it and now they were waiting anxiously to hear what we were going to say.

They sat on the plastic chairs that had been set up in the morning ,but only a few were actually seated as most were just crowded standing up. I watched from behind the stage curtain as the reporters talked amongst themselves, probably plotting questions to interview me with. I wasn't ready to be interrogated by total strangers about something that didn't even concern them. Clarice insisted however that it was for the best.

She went out before me and the entire room went silent, except for her voice and the sudden sound of camera flashes every now and then. She told them that their questions would only be answered if they acted decently and gave us respect. Then she introduced me and I made my way out to the public, trying to stand tall next to her with my head up, plastering a smile on my face.

A crowd of hands shot up in the air, all waiting for anything I would say to put into the news. Since yesterday, I had been the most searched for topic on the computer and more travel dates had been booked to visit Genovia. Unfortunately, there wasn't much information ,so journalists had looked upon this event as an opportunity to quench their thirst for a good news story.

I picked on someone standing in the back to ask me the first question. She was a short woman, her gray hair pulled back in a bun and a pencil in one hand and notebook in the other. "Janice Porter for The Miami Daily. So Allyson, how did you feel when you first found out that you were royalty?"

A million cameras, video cameras, and voice recorders were pointed towards me as they waited for me to talk for the first time about being a princess.

"Well," I began, trying to pick my words carefully so I wouldn't make a fool of myself. "At first when Clarice told me, I didn't believe her. I mean she was a complete stranger and then all of a sudden she drops this huge bombshell on me. I asked my mom and she confirmed it and at first I was mad. But then I realized how lucky I was. I mean...how many people get to be a princess?"

As soon as I finished answering the question, the entire room started buzzing with remarks and typing on their laptops. Clarice quickly quieted them down and I called on someone else to ask a question. "Jonathan Fields, ; Why was the secret kept for so long?"

"So I could live a normal life. The only reason Clarice told me was because I need to come to rule."

Again, the room was filled with chatter until a loud scream that overpowered and silenced the entire room came out.

"So how did your friends react when you told them that you were a princess?"

I looked up and saw Austin standing there, his face expressionless.

"I," I gulped, "I didn't tell them."

"Why not," he continued, taking a few steps closer towards the podium, while the entire room just fell into silence. Every pair of eyes there were on us.

"I didn't want them to think of me differently. Everything in my life was changing. I...I needed something to stay the same." I felt like I was going to start to cry, my eyes brimming with tears ,but I reminded myself that this wasn't the time or place. "I'm so sorry."

He took the last few steps until he was up on stage with me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled in me for a hug. I held onto him by his neck and buried my head on his shoulder. "Forgive me," I shuttered.

"Of course," he told me and the room was filled with 'awws' and applause ,right before an outburst.

_"So the rumors are true?! You two are a couple?!"_

Austin and I looked at each other, both of us not knowing what to say. I felt the pressure of the crowded room and Austin waiting for my answer. This was to clear up all the rumors and I knew what I said next would be the final decision, at least for a while. I had no time to think about the consequences ,like the strain it would have on our friendship or how awkward Trish would feel. But I had to give an answer.

"So, are we," Austin asked me, his eyes longing for something, anything to put his nerves at ease.

"I don't know how to say yes."

* * *

**A/N: Again super sorry for the late update ,but I hope this chapter was worth it!**

**Trish will come out in the next one and someone new ,too. If you think you know what's going on, you have no idea **


	9. Winning Back Trish

"I don't know how to say yes."

Austin's grin grew wider, making my heart beat faster every second. He leaned towards me and I prepared myself for the embrace I knew was coming ,but my grandmother intervened and walked right in between us to reach the microphone.

"Any more questions," she asked, trying to change the subject of Austin and I and back to the scandal that had broken out. Austin smiled at me, leaned towards my ear and whispered he'd be waiting behind the stage. Again, the butterflies in my stomach began to flutter and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from squealing.

Every second seemed like an hour as I hoped that the press conference would finally be over so I could go with Austin. After countless questions and hundreds of pictures later, everyone left and I went backstage to find my mother and Austin eating chocolate dipped strawberries and enjoying each other's companies. I laughed at the sight, both of their faces covered in chocolate and sugar.

"I'm pretty sure you two got the food everywhere besides your mouths," I joked as I made my way over to the table and sat in between both of them. I took a handkerchief of the table and wiped Austin's face. He stuck his tongue out at me and I did the same to him.

"You should go talk to Trish," my mother bursted. I stared at her, bringing my face immediately down from Austin's face and onto my lap. "I mean honey, you two have never gone a day without talking. Be the bigger person and apologize first."

I thought about what she had said and it was true. Trish had always been more of a sister to me than a friend, someone I could trust and have a good time with you. I really didn't want to lose one of the most important relationships in my life over something stupid. The last time Trish and I had gotten in a fight it was because Trish wanted me to help her cheat on a test but I refused. Even then, we only fought for a couple hours before we reconciled.

I agreed with my mother and texted Trish if we could meet in the mall's food court to talk. I had to wait an hour before I received her simple reply of "Ok."

Austin drove me to the food court. On our way there, he put the radio's volume up loud and began to sing to the song. I usually didn't sing in public ,but something about being with him made me feel comfortable. Soon enough I was singing along with him, laughing in between songs every now and then because of the weird faces he would make.

"You're a good singer, Alls," he told me. I felt my cheeks immediately start to blush at his compliment.

"Thanks," I said, "But I don't think I am."

I gathered my bag and swung it over my shoulder once he pulled into the parking lot.

"Well you are," he laughed ,"I'd never lie to you."

I noticed the seriousness in his voice and the same twinkle in his eyes that appeared when he first saw me after my makeover.

"I'd never lie to you either." He stuck out his pinky and I laughed as I wrapped my own with his.

I got out of his car and began to walk towards the food court, scanning the area for any signs of Trish. After deciding that she hasn't arrived yet, I sat down at one of the center tables, playing hangman on my phone to help the time pass by. Every once in a while, I got the same strange feeling that people were watching me.

After two hours of waiting I was about to leave ,but then Trish came rushing in.

"Sorry I'm late. My shift just ended a while ago," she explained, her voice out of air as she sat down on the chair across from mine.

"Where are you working at this week?"

"Still the radio station. The pay is really good there and sometimes they let me pick out the songs ,so."

We sat in silence for a while. A horrible, awkward silence that had never been there before. We both just stared at our surroundings, trying to avoid facing each other.

"I'm sorry," she told me quietly. I looked up to face her. "I shouldn't have said what I did. I still don't know why I said it. But I feel horrible about it."

"I'm sorry too," I chimed in, "I should have told you about the whole princess thing ,but I was too scared about how you'd react. Friends?"

She smiled at me and threw her arms around me, squeezing me tight before I couldn't breathe and I told her she had to stop.

"So," she cleared her voice, "You and Austin..."


	10. Prince of Radalcia

I stretched out on the bed, slightly confused at first at my surrounding before I remembered I had slept over at Trish's house. We had decided to have one of our infamous sleepovers last night after we had apologized to each other. We had stayed up all night watching horror movies, giving each other manicures (which probably wasn't a good idea since we'd both jump and get nail polish everywhere during scary scenes), and gossiping. Mostly about Austin.

"I give myself some credit for it," she had told me, trying to multitask the gossiping and concentrating on painting my nails a pastel pink. Apparently her and Austin had a chat about it when they went bowling and she had convinced him to confess his feelings.

I sat up in bed, looking over Trish's motionless body to see that her alarm clock read 1 o' clock in the afternoon. Had we really slept in that late? I went across the room to my duffel bug and grabbed my cellphone.

1 text from Austin three hours ago:

Hey babe. You up? :)

_Babe_. The pet name made my heart flutter.

Just now :), I texted back quickly.

Three missed calls from grandma, all of them expanding from two hours ago to ten minutes ago. I decided to call back since I didn't want her to freak out or anything. It only rang twice before her assistant answered and transferred my call over to her.

"Queen Clarice," she answered, her voice somehow both assertive and welcoming at the same time.

"Hey Grammy," I answered, letting out a yawn. "What's up?"

"Well for one thing, you should always answer your calls. I don't know why you insist having a phone if you don't answer." She spoke like my mother. "Now, what I needed to tell you. Tonight we will be expecting the prince of Radalcia for dinner ,so I expect you promptly at the estate at six. Understood?"

"Crystal clear," I responded, hanging up eagerly to tell the news to Trish. I jumped up onto the bed, only slightly moving her , so I decided to jump on her instead.

"Ow," she screeched, rolling her body and dropping me on the floor, "What the hell was that?"

"That was me trying to wake you up and failing," I responded from the ground, picking myself up and rubbing my knee where I had landed on. "My grandmother just called me. She said that some prince is coming for dinner. I'm gonna meet a prince!"

We both started squealing and jumping up and down. After I helped Trish clean up her room, I grabbed my things and went to the mall to shop for something to wear for the evening. I had learned that shopping with someone else only made things harder since no one ever agreed with my fashion choices. Fortunately, I had learned through the years what looked best on me ,so I always tried to shop alone.

I walked into Always Dressy, a high class dress shop that was located at the end of the mall since hardly anyone could afford it. Thankfully, my grandmother had opened up a tab with that store and many others upon my princess lessons ,so I could easily walk in the store, get what I wanted, and leave without worrying about paying anything.

As soon as I walked into the store I was greeted by the breezy scent of lilac in the air. The large room had a classic chandelier hanging from the ceiling and creating a romantic atmosphere. Dresses of all colors and styles are displayed on mannequins across the store and a saleswoman between each of them to bring you the requested size.

I walked around the store, noticing every precise detail of each dress. I had never interacted with any one else royal and I wanted to make a good first impression. And as my grandmother said during princess lessons, although image isn't everything, it is what makes the first impression.

Finally I found it. A simple white, floor length dress. The hemline of the bodice had tiny crystals and hugged the mannequin tightly then flowed easily from the hips. I asked a sales associate for a size two then scattered to the nearest dressing room. Once it was on, I knew it was the one. I had found the perfect dress.

* * *

I sat anxiously in the family room, as did everyone else, for the prince to arrive. As it turns out, he would not only be staying for dinner ,but also for the next week. The idea of escorting a prince around Miami for the next week excited me.

Half past seven one of Clarice's securities announced that the prince had arrived. We both stood up, as rehearsed, and waited at the door way to greet him.

A teenage boy about my age, maybe a year older, appeared in a dashing suit and tie. His haircut looked as it worth a thousand bucks and his smile was ravishing. He was handsome to say the least.

"Prince Elliot, Welcome to Miami," my grandmother greeted, extending her had to him to which he bowed.

"Thank you for welcoming me," he replied.

"Welcome to Miami, Prince Elliot," I greeted, curtsying and then extending my hand. He grabbed my hand and laid a soft kiss upon it.

"You can call me Elliot, Princess Allyson," he replied charmingly.

"Well if we're on a first name basis, you can call me Ally."

* * *

**School is out and I am now a teacher's assistant at summer school, which means four hours of stapling papers. Which is good because now I have time to update this fic! :)**

**I hope you liked this chapter. I have a feeling you'll hate me in future ones.**


	11. The Trouble With Elliot

Clarice began to walk Elliot out of the room and to the dining room. Along the way she would point to a certain statue or portrait and would tell him the history about it. I could tell he was bored(even I was bored and she was talking about my family) ,but thought it was very sweet how he pretended to be interested, asking questions and smiling at her.

When we reached the dining room, he took out the chair for my grandmother to sit and then he went across to do the same to mine. During the dinner, he told us all about Radalcia and how beautiful it was. He spoke about the gorgeous weather and the romantic beaches. It was obvious he cared very deeply about his subjects and their well being. He would even invite the best citizens and their families to his castle every year to celebrate.

When our dinner of roasted duck, salad and Italian ice was finished we made our way to the garden outside. Halfway there however my grandmother received a very important call and went inside to talk privately. Elliot and I just stared at each other, both of us not knowing what to say.

"So," he began ,"Your grandmother told me that you know where the best spots in Miami are."

"Yeah," I laughed, "I've lived her my entire life. You begin to get familiar with the area."

"Know the best place for arts & crafts?"

"Do I," I answered a bit too excitedly, "Catie's Craft Corner is the best by far!"

"Well can we go there tomorrow?"

"Of course. But after school."

My grandmother came back, rambling on about the telephone call she had concerning my coronation ball. It was something about the violinist ,but I was lost in my thoughts. Elliot seemed really down to earth and it wouldn't hurt to have some friends in "the royal world."

* * *

I put away my books in my locker, exchanging my Us History textbook for the great American novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Quite honestly, I didn't see the big deal about the book but I still managed to get through it.

I felt an arm slip around my waist and a sweet kiss was placed on my cheek. "Hey babe," Austin whispered, taking the book from hands and walking me down the hall.

"Hey," I greeted back, blushing at his romantic gestures. It was still a bit strange to consider Austin my boyfriend but not something I minded. If anything it was a nice weird. It felt completely natural when his hand intertwined with mine or he kissed me. It felt right.

"So I was thinking we could see a movie at my house after school," he suggested, "Maybe some songwriting afterwards."

"I'd love too ,but I can't," I rejected, stopping in front of my next classroom.

"Why not," he asked, sounding surprised.

"Because," I explained, taking my book away from his hands, "I'm going to be showing my grandmother's guest, Elliot, around Miami."

"You're blowing me off to hang out with some other dude?"

"I'm not," I defended, "I didn't even know you wanted to make plans. But tomorrow I'm free if you want to reschedule our date."

"Fine," he agreed, sounding defeated. I stood on my tip toes, balancing myself on his shoulders and laid a quick kiss on his lips right at the sound of the bell.

"Now get to class, Mr. Moon."

* * *

Elliot turned out to be pretty boring after a while. He was nice and told a few good jokes every once in a while ,but for the most part, he was dull. He talked about the economy crisis and the literature he would read and politics. When I asked if he liked music, he said no. I didn't even think that possible. The only thing we had in common was a royal title and a love for arts and crafts.

We ended our day of sight seeing at the beach. It was perfect timing too. Right as the sun was setting and the waves were cool and crashed onto the shore with grace.

I was in the middle of a story when he picked me up and carried me into the water.

"What are you doing," I laughed, throwing my head and holding onto him for dear life.

"Sorry," he chuckled.

"For what," I asked.

"This." _Splash!_ Into the water. The water was freezing ,but for some reason I didn't mind. He was smiling and that was good enough for me. I pulled on his shirt and dragged him into the water as well. We sat there ,chest deep into water just laughing at the sight of each other drenched.

He stood up and helped me get out of the water. As he pulled me up, I accidentally slipped forward but he caught by my hips. I steadied myself on his chest.

And before I knew it, he kissed me. I didn't know what he was doing at first. It caught me by surprise ,but I quickly pushed off him and started to run the other direction.

"Hey," he screamed after me, grabbing me by my elbow, "Look I'm sorry. I- I didn't mean to. I just caught up in the moment. It was uncalled for and I apologize."

I tried to believe him. I wanted to. But I just couldn't. I had told him all about Austin today when he asked me if I had any suitors. He had given me a tiny smile and said that he had had a girlfriend ,too. She had gone to his private school and they fell in love ,but she had unfortunately died in a car accident along with her sister about a year ago. Elliot had looked so devastated after telling her the story.

"I have to go," I told him, shaking his hand off my elbow so I could walk home. All I had wanted was a friend and now everything was screwed up because he was "caught up in the moment." Gag.

I pushed my way through my mother in the kitchen and headed straight for the bathroom, turning on a bath and stripping my clothes off me. The only thing I wanted to do was take a nice, relaxing, well deserved bath. I had no idea what I was going to tell Clarice about why I couldn't escort Elliot around the city anymore. "We just didn't get along," I thought. Or maybe the truth ,"I thought he was a nice guy but the he kissed me. Woops."

Once I was finished, I tied my bathrobe around me and went to my bedroom, finding a cup of chamomile tea and a little note on the dresser. "Thought you might need it. Mom." I giggled to myself. My mom really knew what to do to make me smile. I jumped onto bed, cuddling myself under the covers and turning on the TV.

"_And some more juicy news from the princess of Genovia rebel: it looks like her highness was on a date ,but not with her rumored boyfriend, Austin Moon_," the TV boomed. I spit out my tea.

No.

_"Our sources have confirmed this mystery hunk as Elliot Willington, the young prince of Radalcia."_ A picture slideshow of us at the beach began to play. Including one of us kissing.

No.

_"Could a serious royal romance be brewing? Or is it just a fling. And tweet us your side: Team Austin or Team Elliot."_

I turned off the TV. Of course the gossip channel would turn the story around. Why didn't they show the pictures of me pushing him off me and getting upset about the kiss? My phone went off the hook, with about fifteen different people calling and texting me at once. When it calmed down, I picked it up and scrolled through all the calls and texts. From my grandmother, Trish, even Elliot.

And then one small text message from Austin. Just four words long.

"I think we're over."

* * *

**This was supposed to be uploaded a few days ago ,but someone commented annoyed on why it was taking me so long and the message kind of pissed me off.**

**I write this story for free. No one pays me. My life isn't centered around this fanfic. I have other things to do. So don't message me why I haven't updated it yet when it's only been a week or so because I have other things to do.**

**Thank you.**


	12. Morning After

**I didn't mean to sound like a bitch in my last chapter ,so I updated earlier than expected to make up for it :)**

* * *

I dropped my phone at the end of that sentence. I felt like I had been stabbed in the chest. Like the entire world was crumbling down into pieces but I was the only one getting hurt. I had never felt so much pain, not even when my secret was first revealed. Because this wasn't just hurting me, it was hurting Austin and the reputation of Genovia's leaders.

I tried to hold in my sobs but it all came out so unexpectedly that once I started crying there was no chance of stopping. When had my life become a soap opera? It seemed as though the paparazzi would just wait to see what stupid thing would happen to document it and get paid ,while my reputation was being torn to shreds.

My mother came in then, found me on the floor and tried to comfort me. She sat down next to me and brought me into her lap, cradling me as if I was a child. But that was the exact problem: I wasn't a child anymore. I had to take responsibility for my actions, no matter what the consequence. My dad had always raised me to be proud of the decisions I made ,but now I felt ashamed. It was as if every happy moment in my life had an expiration date awaiting me the next day.

"It'll be okay, sweetie," my mother kept repeating to me, stroking my hair and laying sweet kisses on my head. And I really wanted to believe what she told me ,but I couldn't. Why couldn't I just live a normal life? Who decided that my life had to be broadcasted for the entire world to see and criticize?

* * *

I didn't even know I had fallen asleep ,but I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock ringing at seven in the morning. I still had to get ready for school, disappointingly, so I dragged myself out of bed, threw on the first things I could find and headed downstairs to ride my bike. I highly doubted Trish and Austin were going to come by so we could walk together.

As I walked through the hallways to get to my first class, study hall, I felt like the people I passed by were giving me death glares and snickering behind my back. I knew it had to do with Elliot ,but it still bothered that I didn't know exactly what they were saying about me. I wanted to know how bad the damage was. And these people were people I has known since kindergarten. Had their views about me changed? I bet I was just some trampy princess from the middle of nowhere now, instead of quiet, straight A student.

I decided to take a seat in one of the desks towards the back of the classroom instead of my typical spot in the front. I didn't feel like facing all my classmates or more precisely, have them facing me. I buried my head in my hoodie and slumped down in my chair, wanting to get school over with as quickly as possible ,so I could go home and sleep the entire day away.

* * *

During lunch, I sat alone for the first time since the first day of freshman year. I tried to sit with the freaks who sat next to trash cans but even they shunned me away. Trish and Austin were nowhere to be found and even if they were, I couldn't face Austin.

Not yet.

* * *

My original plan of going straight home at the sound of the dismissal bell was all thrown away when Mr. Larrybody, my English teacher, graciously reminded the class that book reports were due tomorrow. "Remember students," he told in the same nonchalant tone of voice he always used, "These reports will be 30% of your final semester grade ,so make sure they're perfect."

He had assigned book reports a month ago and I had done about half of it ,but lately I hadn't done any school work. My mind was focused on princess lessons and debating with myself whether I should or shouldn't take the throne. And because I obviously didn't have my priorities straight, I was now stuck all evening at the library.

As I was skimming through the historical section of books at the library I ran into Dez. Literally. I saw Trish coming my way and I turned around quickly in the other direction to get away from her ,but wasn't paying attention to my surroundings as I did. We both bumped heads and fell back, his reaction far different from my groaning and apologizing as his was laughing hysterically.

"Hey Ally," he snorted, "You don't seem to pay very close attention to the people around you, do you?"

"What do you mean," I asked, grabbing my biography book of Florence Nightingale and handing him back his copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.

"The paparazzi," he explained, "It seems as though you never see them coming. Like ninjas! Just you know, with cameras."

"Yeah I really don't feel like talking about the paparazzi," I groaned, pushing my way past him to go sit down at one of the empty tables. He followed closely behind me, taking a seat next to me. Trish was right. He couldn't take a hint when people wanted to be left alone.

"Neither did Austin ,but he still did eventually."

"You talked to Austin," I asked, my curiosity instantly growing.

"Yeah. He came over to my house yesterday after that gossip show came out. He was really upset about it. That and the fact most people were tweeting about Team Elliot and Team Austin."

"But it shouldn't matter what other people think! Our relationship, if I'm even allowed to still call it that, is about us. No one else. And god dammit, I'm Team Austin!"

"Then why don't you tell him that," Dez smirked, satisfied that he had broken me down and gotten me to talk to him.

"Thanks Dez," I hugged him quickly, shoving my stuff into my backpack. I was ready to face Austin. I was ready to come clean and tell him everything I felt. I was ready to tell him I loved him.

"Oh and Ally," he called after me.

"Yeah."

"I'm definitely Team Austin."


	13. Good News, Bad News

I marched up the steps of Austin's house, trying to remember everything I wanted to say to him. He wouldn't even want to see me, much less talk to me, right now ,but I had to at least try. I couldn't let our relationship go to waste. Austin was one of the most important people in my life. I couldn't lose him.

I knocked on the door sheepishly, watching through the window as a silloete walked from the living room to the front door.

"Ally," he said, "What a surprise."

"Hello ," I greeted, "Is Austin home? I need to talk to him."

He told me he was up in his room, said he was feeling sick a couple hours ago and had been in there ever since. I said hello to when I entered the house ,but unlike her husband, her greeting towards me was rather cold. She have me a simple "hi", with a disgusted look on her face. Who could blame her? I was the girl who broke her son's heart and now I just casually showed up in her home, uninvited?

I excused myself to Austin's room and rushed up the stairs, not wanting to upset her anymore. I knocked on the door ,but there was no answer so I quietly entered the room, afraid that he might be sleeping and I would awake him. Instead of in bed he was sitting with his back towards the door at his desk, headphones covering his ears and a pencil and composition book at hand.

"Austin," I said, as I carefully tapped his shoulder. Apparently he was really focused on whatever he was writing because he jumped and shrieked at the simple touch, knocking over a couple of things off his desk.

"You scared the crap out of me, Als," he told me, taking his headphones off.

"I'm sorry," I defended, "I just...hey, nice boxers." I laughed as I finally noticed they had rubber ducks printed all over them.

"Are you here to talk about my underwear or something else," he told me, sounding offended. He moved to sit on the bed and I followed, sitting beside him.

So many memories started pouring in as I looked around the room. The time that I sneaked into his room at 2 A.M. after he had broken up with his longtime girlfriend and we spent the night under a fort we had made out of blankets. In quiet whispers we told each other secrets and our hopes and our desires. Then there were so many times when they were younger that they would spend the evening playing with action figures and watching old cartoons. She missed those times.

"I came here to talk to you about us," I started.

"What us? There is no-."

"Austin please let me finish," I interrupted. He nodded and I continued, finally realizing I had forgotten everything I had prepared.

"I...You...," I didn't know what to say and Austin noticed that instantly, raising a judgmental eyebrow and waiting for me to say something.

"I didn't cheat on you! Elliot kissed me and I pushed away ,but the paparazzi didn't show that. I swear ,though, that's what happened. And I want you to know I would never do anything to jeopardize our relationship. I...I love you, Austin. I've loved you since the first day I met you. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it ,but it's true. You're my first and only love. I want it to stay that way."

He crashed his lips onto mine before I was able to say anything else. He pulled me closer and I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling a sensation throughout every inch of me. "I love you," he told me in between kisses. "I love you so much."

I smiled against his lips. We were lost in each other for a moment ,until the sudden vibration of my cell phone brought me back to reality. It was a text from my mother saying it was urgent.

"I have to go," I told him, kissing him once more before collecting myself off the bed and fixing my hair.

"I'll call you later," he told me, kissing me again. It felt like this great weight had been taken off my shoulders. I felt like myself again.

* * *

When I arrived home, my grandmother and mom were sitting beside each other in the living room, their conversation instantly coming to a close once I walked in. I sensed the tenseness in the room and made my way over to the couch, sitting in between them and waiting for the urgent news.

"I thought there would be more time," Clarice began, "but I only have a few more months which means your coronation ball must be moved ahead of time."

"When exactly is it going to be now," I asked, worry by the tone of her voice.

"Next Saturday."

I only had a few more days to prepare for one of the biggest days of my life?

"And," she continued, "Once the coronation is finished, you will be moving to Genovia with me to become acquainted with your country and its people."

I was moving?

* * *

**Again, I'm so sorry that it look so long for the update! But anyways, I have new for you guys:**

**1. This story is almost over (sad face) ,but the day of the final chapter (I'll tell you guys when.) I want to do something really fun ,like we all dress up like princesses or something then post the pictures to Tumblr and I'll be reblogging them or something like that. More info will be coming in the next update!**

**2. I HAVE A NEW STORY! If you guys didn't know and I'm really excited about ,so please go to my profile and give it a read :)**

**3. I have a Tumblr! Link is in my profile**

**I LOVE YOU GUYS! xoxo!**


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